Information devices often connect to a network, such as a mobile phone connectable to the Internet or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) connectable to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Furthermore, a display apparatus of some information devices have a high resolution, and an image can be finely displayed. Accordingly, by connecting a first information device with a second information device remotely located such as a personal computer (Hereinafter, PC), the first information device can control the second information device and can access data stored on the second information device.
For example, a technique to operate a PC (software is previously installed) from a mobile phone or a PDA (WEB browser is usable) via a network is disclosed in the following. IBM Japan “Software realizing remote operation of PC from mobile phone”, [online], press release, [retrieval on Jun. 28, 2005], Internet <URL:
http://www-06.ibm.com/jp/press/2002/05271.html>
Furthermore, a technique to operate a PC (software is previously installed) from a WEB browser or a private viewer (predetermined language is usable) is disclosed in the following.
AT&T Labs-Research In the Spotlight “PC World included AT&T Labs (Cambridge) Virtual Network Computer Software in its 1 April feature on the evaluation of remote PC software”, [online], [retrieval on Jun. 28, 2005], Internet <URL:
http://www.research.att.com/spotlight/200204.html>
Furthermore, by setting a relay server between a mobile phone and a PC and by communicating the relay server with the mobile phone using an original protocol, a system to operate the PC from the mobile phone is disclosed in the following. Masato NAKASU “Research of a computer remote operation system using a mobile phone”, [online], Tsukuba University, [retrieval on Jun. 28, 2005], Internet <URL:
http://www.iplab.cs.tsukuba.ac.jp/˜baru/research/keitai.html>
In the technique disclosed in IBM Japan and NAKASU articles, screen information of the PC or input information from a keyboard or a mouse of the PC are transmitted between the PC and the mobile phone by predetermined communication protocol. Briefly, this technique relates to remote operation from the mobile phone to the PC.
When inputting data to a PC, except for the keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel is generally used. By using the mouse, a mouse cursor can be moved in a moment to an arbitrary position on a screen of the PC. By immediately pushing a mouse button after moving the mouse cursor, various kinds of menu selection and data input can be executed.
On the other hand, a mobile phone typically includes numerical buttons to dial a telephone number, arrow buttons (directions of top and bottom and right and left) and a confirmation button for menu selection, and several buttons for special operation.
Accordingly, in case of remotely operating a PC using a mobile phone, in comparison with operation of the mouse of the PC, a cursor cannot be moved in a moment to an arbitrary position on a display of the mobile phone. For example, by pushing the arrow buttons (directions of top and bottom and right and left) repeatedly, the cursor is gradually moved to the arbitrary position on the display. Another suitable means to easily move the cursor to the arbitrary position is not actually considered.
An interface by connecting a mouse to a mobile phone is technically possible. However, in this use form, simple movability of the mobile phone falls. By considering operation of the mobile phone while a user's moving to a destination or an vehicle, this interface is not a practical solution method.
In this way, operability to remotely operate the PC using a mobile phone is greatly inferior to operability to directly operate the PC using a mouse.